The Pentax Optio 750Z is a powerhouse of a camera that includes virtually every important (and fun) function and feature imaginable. But though it's very easy to operate in both point-and-shoot and more advanced modes, the images the Optio 750Z produces don't measure up to others in this class when it comes to exposure and color reproduction.

With a black-trimmed, no-slip covering that looks like leather (but feels like rubber), and a selector dial that looks just like a film advance winder, the Optio 750Z has the outward appearance of a classic rangefinder film camera. It's certainly handsome to look at, but it somehow lacks the feel of a precision instrument. Part of the problem is that the bezel around the articulated LCD viewer is plastic, not metal, as is the tripod screw socket. Also, the camera feels lighter and less substantial than its looks might lead you to believe. On the other hand, all controls are quite accessible and well marked. We like the articulated LCD, which allows viewing from almost any angle or position without glare, but this advantage is slightly offset by its 1.8-inch size, as many of its competitors are 2 inches or better. We do like that the optical viewfinder comes with a focusable diopter, handy for those with eyeglasses.

Like the Olympus C-7000 Zoom, the Optio 750Z has a 5X (but f/2.8-f/4.6, compared with the Olympus' f/2.8-f/4.8) zoom lens, also without image stabilization and, at 7.8 to 39 mm (37.5 to 187.5 mm, 35-mm equivalent), skewed more towards telephoto than wide angle. What impresses us most about the Optio 750Z is how easy it is to operate. The menus are clear and concise, with most options always available, regardless of mode. In addition to the usual features (such as aperture and shutter priority, manual mode, panorama assist, voice recording, and VGA video at 30 FPS) this is the only camera in its class to offer five different bracketing options (exposure, white balance, color saturation, sharpness, and contrast), 3D and double exposure capability, and a variety of built-in filter effects. We especially like that areas which will be under- or overexposed flash on the LCD (though its usefulness is somewhat reduced because of the small screen).

Other fun features include a world clock with three alarms, time-lapse capability, and the ability to use the camera as a precise spot meter. One of this camera's only notable omissions is an external flash connector or hot shoe.

More troubling, however, is this camera's start-up time. At 5.6 seconds, its boot time is the slowest in this roundup by an entire second, though recycling between shots is an unexciting (but reasonably good for this roundup) 2.5 seconds. More disappointing is image quality. The numbers we got on our resolution and pixel-transition tests (1,500 average lines of resolution and 2.0% pixel transition, respectively) are very good, but our daylight test shot is underexposed, with a strong magenta cast and no true whites. The flash test shot has a cyanic color cast and is even more underexposed. The images are sharp, but colors are muddy, details are lost in the shadows, and there are no true whites or highlights here.

So, while it's a fun camera with lots of bells and whistles, the Pentax Optio 750Z sadly doesn't deliver where it counts mostimage quality.

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Sally Wiener Grotta is a contributing editor of PC Magazine, a professional photographer, a digital artist, and an early pioneer in computer graphics. She has coauthored several books with Daniel Grotta, including The Illustrated Digital Imaging Dictionary (McGraw-Hill). Her expertise extends to digital cameras, scanners, printers, imaging and illustration software, Web graphics and authoring, 3-D graphics, and even biometrics.
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Daniel Grotta & Sally Wiener Grotta are PC Magazine's Digital Photography Gurus and widely respected experts on imaging and anything to do with pictures in computers. Known for their down-to-earth, easy-to understand approach to fun, creative photography and image editing, the Grottas are the authors of "PC Magazine Guide to Digital Photography" (John Wiley), "Shooting for Dollars: Simple Photo Techniques for Greater eBay Profits" (Peachpit Press) and other books. Their newest book "PC Magazine Digital SLR Photography Solutions" will be published by John Wiley in 2006....
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